Prop Joe From “The Wire” Has Passed Away

Robert Chew most famously played Proposition Joe, a smooth-talking, diplomatic, east-side drug kingpin on HBO’s The Wire. His scenes on the show were some of the best and most memorable, sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, and often extremely quotable. (And strangely enough, every time I hear someone say “true,” I can’t help but think of Prop Joe.)

In real life, Chew was an acting coach at the United States’ oldest still-active African-American community theater company, the Baltimore City Players. He will be missed.